truth and honesty

Poetry·Sophia Famolari — A prose poem explores mirrors as metaphors for self-examination, suggesting we must break and reconstruct our perceptions to find truth within reflection.

Personal Narrative·Yanling Lin — A Halloween night becomes a meditation on moral choices when the narrator faces unattended candy bowls with 'Please Take 1' signs and witnesses another child take everything.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A brief meditation on the paradox of 'now' — how the present moment of writing becomes the past by the time of reading.

Personal Narrative·Sophie Li — A girl races classmates to determine relay order, but when she beats the 'perfect' girl, her competitor lies about the result, leaving the truth unresolved.

Personal Narrative·Louise Johnson — A six-year-old steals money from her mother to buy a coveted tea set, then confesses through tears, learning about unconditional love.

Poetry·Trevor M. Burns, age 10 — A young poet confronts political corruption through wordplay, contrasting kleptocracy with democracy while invoking patriotic imagery turned ironic.

Story·Juli Hiramatsu, age 11 — A spotless leopard breaks her promise not to eat monkeys, gains spots as punishment, and must apologize to her friend to restore both her fur and friendship.

Poetry·Cora Burch, age 13 — A man barricades himself in a White House closet surrounded by weapons, flags, and symbols of power while small details reveal his unraveling control.

Story·Jinhui He, age 12 — A struggling painter's work is stolen by a famous artist, leading to betrayal by her husband and society, ending in tragedy.

Poetry·Galen Halasz, age 13 — A young writer confronts human hypocrisy and self-righteousness, building to the admission that we're all guilty of the stupidity we see in others.